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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24485914">Men of the South</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Changamire/pseuds/The_Changamire'>The_Changamire</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dead Aang (Avatar), Earth Kingdom (Avatar), Everything Changed When The Fire Nation Attacked, F/M, Fire Nation (Avatar), Hakoda is Chief Paramount of the Southern Water Tribes, Hundred Year War, Kya is actually a Waterbender, No Avatar to save them, Northern Water Tribe, Ocean!Sokka, Southern Water Tribe, The Fire Nation made a mistake, The Southern Water Tribes are a lot stronger than you think, They'll have to do it themselves, Water Tribe(s) (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:01:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,382</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24485914</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Changamire/pseuds/The_Changamire</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Any chance of them staying out of the war go out the window when the Southern Water Tribes are raided and their Waterbenders killed or taken.</p><p> It was supposed to be an easy mission, crippling what little strength the southern barbarians had.</p><p>However, the Fire Nation, unbeknownst to them, were misinformed of the strength of the Southern Water Tribes, and, unfortunately for them, Chief Paramount Hakoda is prepared to do whatever it takes to bring his people home.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hakoda/Kya (Avatar), Sokka/Yue (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>99</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The South Stirs</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Fire Nation took their mother a week before Sokka's eleventh nameday.<br/><br/>It was rare for them to be in sight of the coast, as they spent most of their time at home, further inland where the city of Tikaani lay, but their father had needed to meet with a local chieftain from the area, and mother had some family in the area, so they went. The ride took only a few days, seeing as they were mounted on Polar-Bear Dogs, and they arrived near the setting of the sun. The local chief, Ttlani, had greeted them with a small feast, as was befitting of Hakoda’s title, and soon after they had been sent to bed whilst the adults talked.<br/><br/>Sokka recalled the next day as well as Katara did. He had woken that day and was told by their mother that the men were going hunting, and, naturally, Sokka wanted to go with them. His father had laughed and told him that he could go hunting when he was older, and he had pouted. But, both Hakoda and Kya had been unwavering on that, so he went with Katara to play with his cousins.<br/><br/>They came not too long after the men had left.<br/><br/>Even with the many Waterbenders in the village, they had been unable to stop stop the advance of the firebreathers, and Sokka had quickly directed his sister and cousins to go hide in the igloo with their mother. He had planned to go get his Father, but he had been told someone had already ridden out to get him, so he picked up a nearby weapon, a boomerang, and joined his family.<br/><br/>Katara remembered what happened next as vividly as if it had happened the day before. A Fire Nation man had burst into the tent, fists aflame and looking for something. Sokka, her brave, idiot brother, had tried to attack him, throwing his boomerang with poor accuracy, but it only bounced off the man’s armor. After the pitiful attack, the man had encroached further into the igloo, and her mother pulled both her, Sokka, and their cousins behind her. Katara noticed the bit of ice springing up from the floor into her mother’s hand, forming a knife.<br/><br/>Then the man spoke.<br/><br/>Over time, she had forgotten what exactly the Fire Nation man had said, or what her mother’s response was, but she did remember her mother turning to them. She kissed her utop her brow, did the same for Sokka, and pulled her cousins into a hug.<br/><br/>Then she turned, and and the Fire Nation soldier dragged her out.<br/><br/>It was the last time either of them saw their mother.<br/><br/>Hakoda, Ttlani, and the hunting men arrived not to long after, charging the raiders on their Polar-Bear Dog mounts and driving them to sea, but not without cost. By the end of the day, the fires had be put out, the dead buried, and a headcount preformed.<br/><br/>It was the first time Sokka or Katara had ever seen their father cry.<br/><br/>Later, while wandering the coastline of the village, they found her necklace, the one Hakoda had gifted her when they had been betrothed, and only then did the siblings begin to cry, and both were brought into the embrace of Hakoda’s arms.<br/><br/>They learned, a few days later, that their mother had been taken because she was a Bender, and that she hadn’t been the only one to be taken. Not just Waterbenders, either. Mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters, regardless of their Bending abilities, were taken by the foreigners, for reasons they did not know.<br/><br/>That day, Katara swore to herself, she would become the greatest Waterbender the South had ever seen, to honor her mother and to protect what she had left. At the same time, Sokka had knelt in the light of Tui to ask her favor, to be a strong warrior to protect his tribe and family. Both siblings, under the tutelage of their father, and the other Benders and warriors of the tribes, would see their promises fulfilled.<br/><br/>It did not fill the hole their mother left behind.</p><p> </p><p></p><div>
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  <p><b>/\/\/\/\/|Men of the South|\/\/\/\/\</b> <b></b></p>
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  <p>It had been centuries since a Paramount Chief had held a council of Elders, yet here Hakoda was, standing in front of all the chiefs of the Southern Water Tribes. Not since their last war for independence had such a thing occurred, as the tribes had never warred with each other and they had preferred to stay out of foreign ones. Yet, that was no longer a choice.</p>
  <p>The last chiefs were streaming into the Great Igloo, the Elders having seated themselves some time ago. Hakoda stood on the ice podium, preparing himself for what he was about to announce to his fellow chiefs. They would not like it, but they no longer had a choice.</p>
  <p>When the chiefs had finally settled down, the door to the Great Igloo was closed, and Hakoda was finally ready to begin. The Elder of his tribe, Kanna (his mother) stood and clapped her hands, prompting the other chiefs and Elders into silence. “It is time for the Council of Elders to begin.” Her voice, while old, still echoed off the walls of the igloo for all to hear. “On behalf of the Amarok Tribe, we thank you for taking the time to come to this gathering. We are aware that such a thing has not been called in generations, so we thank you for your loyalty. As well, we wish to extended out mournful condolences to our brothers and sisters of the Nanook Tribe, as well as the many others, for those who died, and for those who were taken.”</p>
  <p>There was a moment of silence at that, and Hakoda let his own led hang for a moment. There hadn’t been a moment in the past few weeks that he hadn't thought of his beloved wife. Was she still alive? Was she dead somewhere, rotting on the ocean floor? He didn’t know, and it was eating him up on the inside. But he would not falter, <em>could not</em> falter, in his duties as both Chief Paramount of the Southern Water tribes, and as a father to his children. His tribe needed him, his people needed him, and his children needed him most of all.</p>
  <p>He would not fail them.</p>
  <p>After the moment past, Kanna sat down, and left the stage to her son, and Hakoda stepped up. “Thank you all for coming,” he started. “I know it’s been a long journey for some of you, so I apologize that you had no time to rest, but what we discuss tonight will determine the future of our people.”</p>
  <p>If he didn’t have the attention of the chiefs before, had certainly had them now. All of them paid rapt attention as Hakoda continued.</p>
  <p>“From the reports I’ve heard from some of the coastal chiefs and villages, they too have suffered these raids. Each time they are repulsed, however, they almost always succeed in capturing or killing the local Waterbenders. We had no idea why until last week. Chief Akluq, if you would.”</p>
  <p>The aforementioned chief stood from his spot. “Thank you, Chief Paramount.” He cleared his throat. “They attacked my village at dawn, but luckily, we drove them off, but not without… loses. My son died during the defense.” The chief took a moment to compose himself before going on. “We managed to take one of the raider alive. After some integration, he was willing to speak, and he told us that they, and every other Fire Nation ship in the South, had been ordered to seize or kill every Waterbender of the tribes.”</p>
  <p>The igloo burst into noise as the chieftains growled or shouted in frustration. “Why?!” one asked. “Why take our Benders, our people?!”</p>
  <p>Akluq turned to the Elder. “From what we gather, they wish to cripple us from being a threat to them. However, it appears they’ve been misinformed. They believe that the coastal villages are all that we encompass. They believe those Benders to be our only ones.” Mumbling met the answer, and Akluq continued. “They also seek to exploit our abilities for extracting salt from the sea. Bear in mind, my fellow chiefs, that this is just speculation from what we could gather from the firebreather.” With that, the man sat back down, and Hakoda stepped up again.</p>
  <p>“Thank you, Chief Akluq. As it would seem, the rumors that we heard from the few traders that pass by our shores are true. The world is at war.” Hakoda plowed through the questions being asked. “It appears most of the fighting is taking place in the Earth Kingdom. Ba Sing Sae still stands, but the outer territories are slowly being annexed by the firebreathers.”</p>
  <p>More chattering at this. “And what,” one chief asked, “do you intend to do about this.”</p>
  <p>Hakoda let out a weary sigh. “They’ve taken our Benders, killed out people, and slaughtered the Air Nomads. I have no doubt that when they finish with the Earth Kingdom, they will either set their eyes upon us, or our cousins in the North. Therefore… we must prepare to make war.”</p>
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  <p>Silence met his declaration, and for a moment Hakoda feared the chiefs and Elders might storm out in anger. Then, Akluq stood up. “When our ancestors made the journey across the oceans, we swore ourselves to the Chief Paramount, to the tribes. We will not break our ancient vows! My tribe will stand by you, in victory or defeat!” Hakoda nodded thankfully at the chief, and barely a moment passed before Ttlani was standing as well.</p>
  <p>“They took your wife, Hakoda. They took you wife, my <em>sister</em>. The day I take that lying down is the day I die! My tribe will stand beside yours, as we have for generations!”</p>
  <p>One by one, the chiefs stood up and pledged their support, and Hakoda grinned, and sliver of hope building in his chest. “Thank you all, truly. But, if we are to do this, we will need ships. For that, we need wood, and there is only one place to get it.”</p>
  <p>The chieftain of the Igvun Tribe, one of the few that lived the interior of the continent stood up. “We rarely use the woods, and the grove is strong, filled to the brim with ironwood. If we build the ships there, we could have what Waterbenders we have left move them to the coast. That way, we don’t stand the risk of the Fire Nation spotting them. However, this will take time, depending on the amount of ships needed. How many warriors do you plan to take?”</p>
  <p>“All of them.”</p>
  <p>Hakoda’s answer stunned them for a moment, but the man simply grinned. “We have time, don’t worry. If what the firebreather says is correct, they won’t be attacking us for some time. They’ll be too busy in the Earth Kingdom. As for us, our warriors need to undergone rigorous training. Our Waterbenders need to prepare the canal to transport our ships to the coast. And…” <em>As much as I hate to do this… </em>“Our children must be trained in the art of war. From now on, those above the age of twelve, if they wish, will be taken on hunts, allowed to participate in trainings, and generally will be put to work to prepare for what is coming.” Hakoda saw nods coming from the chiefs, and he himself nodded as well. Then, despite the solemn tension, he gave a shout.</p>
  <p>“MEN OF THE SOUTH, ARE YOU WITH ME?!”</p>
  <p>He was answered with an uproar as the chiefs stood and cried out as one to the Chief Paramount of the Southern Water Tribes;</p>
  <p>“<em>NA KO NGA WAIRUA KA TUKU!</em>”</p>
  <p>So the Spirits decree.</p>
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<a name="section0002"><h2>2. To the Interior</h2></a>
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  <div class="bbWrapper"><p> </p><p></p><div><p><br/><b>87 AG</b></p></div><br/>“You don’t have to do this, you know. There are plenty of others who are already going, they won’t miss one more.”<p>Katara shook her head to her father’s plea. Two years had passed since her mother disappeared from her life, and she was eleven now, old enough to join the many trainee Waterbenders heading to the ironwood groves further inland, and she had immediately pushed to join the next caravan. Hakoda, obviously, had his concerns letting her go alone, but she wouldn’t let others practice while she languished at home. <em>I won't do nothing while I can do <b>something.</b></em></p><p>“I have to do this, dad. I want to be a Waterbender that you and Sokka can be proud of.” <em>That mom would be proud of.</em> “I can’t do that without a proper teacher. Gran Gran is nice, but she doesn’t have the training the Masters do.”</p><p>“Katara-”</p><p>“Also!” Katara cut in, “I’ll be helping with the building of the boats. I want to help you, dad.”</p><p>Hakoda was silent for a moment, before lowering his head, but nodding. “If you feel this is the path you want to take, then I won’t stop you.” He stood up. “The caravan is leaving in two days. You’d best start packing and inform your brother. I’ll go speak to one of the Masters to take you as their apprentice.”</p><p>Katara smiled, and lept into Hakoda’s arms. “Thanks, dad! I won’t let you down!”</p><p>“I know you won’t.”</p><p>The two Southerners went their separate ways, Hakoda keeping his word to find Katara a Master, and Katara looking for Sokka. She found him sitting on a hillside outside the city, sharpening the boomerang he had kept with a rock he most likely found nearby. He turned when he heard her footsteps crunching in the snow. “Katara, what’s up?”</p><p>“I talked to dad, Sokka. He’s letting me go join the caravan to the interior. I’m going to get a teacher!” She couldn’t help it as she gushed, there had been so little exciting news in the past two years that even something like this got her hopes up. Her happiness only soared when Sokka grinned as well and pulled her into a hug. “That’s great! You’ll be the best Waterbender ever, I know it!” Releasing her, he went back to sharpening the boomerang, and Katara sat down besides him, basking in the moonlight.</p><p>“Sokka?”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Why do you always do this at night?” Sokka looked up from his task and turned to her. “What d’you mean?”</p><p>“I mean,” Katara let herself lay back in the snow, “You do this almost every night, coming out here. Why not do it during the day?”</p><p>Her brother was silent for a moment. “Do you… remember the stories mom used to tell us? About Tui and La, the Moon and the Ocean? Being out here, in the light of Tui and watching La’s waves crash against the coast… It makes me feel closer to her.”</p><p>Oh.</p><p>Ah.</p><p>When their father had come out of the Great Igloo after the Council of Elders and told the assembled crowed outside what had been decided, Katara had thrown herself into training her infantile Waterbending, practically hounding her grandmother until she made time to teach her some basics. In a way, she supposed, it was her way of keeping her mother in her memories.</p><p>For Sokka, tending to his only weapon in the moonlight was his way. “I… understand, Sokka.”</p><p>The two sat there a while longer before their father called them for dinner. Katara pushed herself off the ground first. “Race you back!”</p><p>“H-hey!”</p><p>Laughing, the two siblings ran home, to the city of Tikaani, where the igloo of the Chief Paramount resided. By the time they caught up with their father, they were panting. “I <em><b>*</b>huff<b>*</b></em> win,” Katara breathed out. Sokka merely groaned and collapsed on the ground.</p><p>Hakoda chuckled at them before hoisting Katara onto his shoulders. “Come on, Sokka, Gran Gran’s making stewed sea prune.” Upon hearing mention of his grandmother’s most famous dish, Sokka picked himself up with renewed vigor and all but ran to the igloo. Hakoda chuckled again and began walking back, Katara mumbling tiredly on his back. “Don’t fall asleep yet, Katara, I know you love Gran Gran’s food as much as your brother, and if you don’t eat some today there’ll be none left tomorrow!”</p><p>She groaned, but kept her head up and her eyes open. Her father was right; she loved that stew, and she would be damned to let her brother devour it all, as he was wont to do.</p><p>“Do you want to go to the igloo, or are you ready to eat?”</p><p>“Let’s go eat.” Hakoda nodded and altered their course to the center of the</p><p>The people of the Southern Water Tribes did not eat supper like the other nations; while people from the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation ate with only themselves, close friends, or members of their familial unit, the tribe <em>was</em> the familial unit, and all the Southern Water Tribes its family. While there were few others present from outside the Amarok Tribe for dinners, they were always welcome as if they were one of their own. Dinners usually took place just outside the Great Igloo, everyone bringing their own foodstuffs to share. It was here that Gran Gran let her cooking skills known to the tribe every night; her stews were always the dishes most clamored for.</p><p>When they arrived, they found most of the tribe already sitting down and chatting between themselves. When they saw their Chieftain, however, they all stood and said their greetings. Hakoda waved a hand. “Don’t stand on my accord, friends! Eat, laugh, and be merry!” That was how her father started the dinners, and the tribe indeed began to eat, moving from place to place to both to talk with friends and family and to try dishes from other families.</p><p>Hakoda carried Katara up to the front of the Great Igloo, where Sokka and Gran Gran were seated, her brother tearing into a slab of seal-meat. Her grandmother smiled at her as her father set her down, and she sat besides her. “I hear you are to join the caravan for the interior.”</p><p>Katara nodded. “Yes, Gran Gran. Dad’s letting me find a Master to tutor under. Not that you’re not a good teacher-” she tried to explain hastily, but her grandmother only laughed. “I know, dear, I know.” She turned to her son. “Hakoda, have you found her a Master yet?”</p><p>Looking up from his bowl of stew, Hakoda nodded. “Sorry, Katara, I forgot to tell you. Master Amak is willing to take you on, if you wish.” Katara hadn’t even waited for him to finish before she nodded excitedly. Hakoda gave a small smile. “She’ll meet you the day you set out.”</p><p>After that, there was no more talk on the subject. They ate and drank, sung and laughed, and enjoyed the rest of the night as one, big family.</p><p></p><div><p></p><hr/></div><div><p><b>/\/\/\/\/|Men of the South|\/\/\/\/\</b></p></div><div><hr/></div></div>
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    <p>Two days later, they were standing outside the city, Katara with a pack on her back and her family with tears in their eyes. Her new Waterbending Master, Amak, put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I will teach her all I know, Chief Hakoda,” she bowed. “She will return to you a master Bender, to pass on her skills to her children, and their children.”</p>
    <p>Hakoda nodded. “Of that I have no doubt.” Then he knelt, and hugged her. “Listen to you teacher, and most importantly, stay safe. Do not wander too far from any of the villages alone.”</p>
    <p>“Yes, dad.” She hugged him back. Sokka was next, hugging her then handing her a flute made from tiger-seal. “To remind you of the ocean,” he said,o before hugging her again. Last came Gran Gran, who whispered in her ears the secret to her sea prune stew, and they hugged. “Stay safe, dear.”</p>
    <p>When the goodbyes were all said, she and her new Master turned to join the caravan, Amak mounting a Polar-Bear Dog and Katara sitting herself on one of the sleds, and they began to pull away from her home.</p>
    <p>She let herself look back one more time at her receding family, and vowed to herself again that she would become someone they would be proud of.</p>
    <p>Turning away from the walls of Tikaani, Katara looked forward.</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Interlude: The Nations of the World</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A bit of worldbuilding.</p>
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    <p>Since the Air Nomad Genocide of <b>0 AG</b>, the Four Nations have been thrown into chaos, mostly due to the rapid expansion of the Fire Nation’s imperial interests in a strange form of Manifest Destiny. The Earth Kingdom, the primary target of this expansion, is slowly being weathered away by the superior Fire Nation Army, no doubt due to the loss of near-all of their Royal Navy, and what few ships they have remaining have been anchored in Chameleon Bay to prevent a repeat of the Siege of Ba Sing Sae by sea.<br/><br/>While the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nations are embroiled in war, the Water Tribes, until recently, have had nothing to do with it. That is to say, the Northern Water Tribe preferred to stay neutral while the Southern Water Tribes had no idea said war was happening in the first place until their coasts were raided. And once that happened, the war began to change.<br/><br/>Anyways, lets get started.<br/><br/><b>This will be revised as the story goes on, don't worry</b><br/><br/><br/><br/></p><p></p><div>
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      <span class="u">The Nations of the World</span>
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  <p>Brought to you by Yakko, son of Warner</p>
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</div><p><br/><span class="u"><b>The Air Nomads</b></span><br/><br/><b>Leader: </b>None<br/><br/><b>People of interest: </b>The Avatar(?)<br/><br/><b>Affiliation:</b> None<br/><br/><b>Status:</b> Dead, gone, as likely to come back as the Avatar<br/><br/><b>Territory held: </b>None<br/><br/><b>Objectives: </b>None<br/><br/><b>Available Forces:</b> None<br/><br/><b>Further assets: </b>None<br/><br/><b>Cohesion: </b>Nonexistent, seeing as the nation no longer exists<br/><br/><b>Notes:</b><br/><br/>The last known Avatar was born supposedly to be born into the Air Nomads around <b>10-12 BG</b>, and is assumed to have died with his/her fellow Nomads<br/><br/>The practice of Airbending went extinct with the deaths of the Nomads<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/></p><p></p><div>
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</div><p><br/><span class="u"><b>The Fire Nation</b></span><br/><br/><b>Leader: </b>Fire Lord Ozai<br/><br/><b>People of interest: </b>Crown Princess Azula, Prince Zuko, General Iroh<br/><br/><b>Affiliation:</b> The Imperial Family<br/><br/><b>Status:</b> At war with the Earth Kingdom, at war with the Southern Water Tribes (currently unknown to them), tentative neutrality agreement (unspoken) with the Northern Water Tribe<br/><br/><b>Territory held: </b>The Fire Islands, various coastal and inland Colonies in the Earth Kingdom, sparse outposts in the North and South, Capital City<br/><br/><b>Objectives: </b>Spreading ‘civilization’ to the barbarians, expanding Imperial interests<br/><br/><b>Available Forces:</b> His Lordship’s Imperial Navy, Khomdo Cavalry, Yuyan Archer, Firebender Corps, Royal Infantry Corps<br/><br/><b>Further assets: </b>Rough Rhinos, mercenaries<br/><br/><b>Cohesion: </b>Fanatical<br/><br/><b>Notes: </b>Greatly misinformed of the true strength of the Southern Water Tribes<br/><br/>Apparently, Prince Zuko was banished some time ago, and now roams the sea<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/></p><p></p><div>
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</div><p><br/><span class="u"><b>The Earth Kingdom</b></span><br/><br/><b>Leader: </b><s>Long Feng</s> Kuei the 52nd Earth King<br/><br/><b>People of interest: </b>Long Feng, General Sung, General How, General Yui, General Soo-li, General Xiao, King Bumi of Omashu<br/><br/><b>Affiliation:</b> The Diqiu Dynasty<br/><br/><b>Status:</b> <s>At war with the Fire Nation, and loosing, badly</s> At peace with all Nations. There is no war in Ba Sing Sae<br/><br/><b>Territory held: </b>Several Earthen city-states and their territories, Omashu(?), Ba Sing Sae<br/><br/><b>Objectives: </b><s>Survive</s> Push the invaders out to sea and take the fight to the Fire Nation<br/><br/><b>Available Forces:</b> Ba Sing Sae navy (barely any ships), Ostrich Cavalry, Earthbender Corps, Infantry Corps<br/><br/><b>Further assets: </b><s>Dai Li</s> None, nope, nothing to see here<br/><br/><b>Cohesion:</b> Crumbling, but still pretty good<br/><br/><b>Notes: </b>There is no war in Ba Sing Sae<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/></p><p></p><div>
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><p><br/><span class="u"><b>The Northern Water Tribe</b></span><br/><br/><b>Leader: </b>High Chieftain Arnook<br/><br/><b>People of interest: </b>Lady Yura, Princess Yue<br/><br/><b>Affiliation:</b> The Royal Family<br/><br/><b>Status:</b> Neutral,<br/><br/><b>Territory held: </b>The North Pole, the City-State of Ujuraak<br/><br/><b>Objectives: </b>Do Nothing<br/><br/><b>Available Forces:</b> Scout ships/fishing boats, Buffalo Yak Cavalry(?), Northern Infantrymen, Waterbenders<br/><br/><b>Further assets: </b>Tui(?), La(?), Princess Yue(?!)<br/><br/><b>Cohesion: </b>Excellent<br/><br/><b>Notes: </b>They say, when the Princess was born, she did not breath. Then the Moon gave life to her, and she wailed for the first time.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/></p><p></p><div>
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><p><br/><span class="u"><b>The Southern Water Tribes</b></span><br/><br/><b>Leader: </b>Chief Paramount Hakoda<br/><br/><b>People of interest: </b>Lady Kya, Sokka, Katara, Kanna<br/><br/><b>Affiliation:</b> The Chief Paramount of the Southern Water Tribes<br/><br/><b>Status: </b>At war with the Fire Nation (they don’t know it yet), Preparing<br/><br/><b>Territory held: </b>The South Pole, the City of Tikaani<br/><br/><b>Objectives: </b>Find their stolen brethren and bring them home, wage war on the Fire Nation<br/><br/><b>Available Forces:</b> Great Southern Fleet (construction in progress), Polar-Bear Dog Cavalry (training in progress), Waterbenders (training in progress), Wolf Warriors<br/><br/><b>Further assets: </b>Tui(?), La(?), Sokka(?!)<br/><br/><b>Cohesion: </b>Excellent, but restless<br/><br/><b>Notes:</b> They say the son of Hakoda goes out every night of the full Moon, when the tides are at their peak, and basks in the Ocean.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Move Like The Ocean, Shine Like The Moon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><b>88 AG</b><br/><br/>It happened the night of his thirteenth nameday.<br/><br/>Katara had been gone for nearly a year by then, and Sokka had thrown himself into his training once again, just as she had, and he was excelling, to his joy. In the time between his sister’s departure for the ironwood groves and his nameday, he had made several new friends from the sons (and a few daughters) of the families moving to Tikaani, and the locals had taken to them calling the The Pack, as they seldom went somewhere without at least two others with them. They played together, trained together, and generally just hung out with each other, a camaraderie that Sokka had only known with his sister, who (and he would never admit this to anyone) he missed dearly.<br/><br/>Almost as much as he missed his mother.<br/><br/>The morning of his nameday arrived just on time, as usual, and he roused himself from bed with a giddiness oft seen in him when in the thick of training with his boomerang, or when he ate Gran Gran’s stew.<br/><br/>His father had been the first to greet him, hugging him and asking the Spirits to watch over him, then he told Sokka his gift he would receive. “Sokka, do you want to go on a hunt?”<br/><br/>“Really?!”<br/><br/>While Sokka, for as long as he could remember, had wanted to join a hunt with his father for the longest time, he had usually imagined Katara besides him, yet that was now impossible.<br/><br/>“You can bring some of your Pack, if you want to. No need in going alone, after all,” Hakoda added, and Sokka grinned and yelled his thanks as he ran out into the city.<br/><br/>Tikaani had somewhat grown since Katara left, as new igloos were constructed for the families, mainly from the nomadic tribes, as they settled in the Amarok Tribe’s territory, which no one really opposed; the land, while belonging to the tribe of the Chief Paramount, was free for use should the people need it.<br/><br/>One of the few things the Southern Water Tribes shared with the now extinct Air Nomads was their belief that the land belongs to everyone, not just a singular person. Of course, that referred to land outside the villages, because no one likes people barging into igloos and claiming them as their own.<br/><br/>Regardless, the reason said nomadic tribes are settling down is due to, of course, the declaration Hakoda made three years ago. Men and women immediately began preparing for the eventual conflict, and, somewhere in the span of three years, the Chief Paramount decided it would be best if the warriors came, and trained, at Tikaani, where they would learn the values of tactics and coordination, like a massive hunt. As it was, the warriors of the Southern Water Tribes were good individual fighters, but their cohesion was near-horrible, and Hakoda aimed to fix that.<br/><br/>Of course, all that was the furthest from Sokka’s thoughts as he raced to The Pack’s meeting place, the same hill he sharpened his boomerang once in a while, though he had changed the location to a nearby cliff overlooking the sea.<br/><br/>The Pack was already there, so his surprise, so he waved to them as he arrived. “Hey, guys! What’re you all doing here this early?”<br/><br/>The Pack, which consisted of Lana, Ahnah, Meriwa, Kanuk, and Uki (not counting himself, of course,) turned to look at him in surprise, and Ahnah groaned. “You just <em>had </em>to choose today to wake up early.” Sokka blinked; he admitted he was a late-sleeper and not at all a morning person (something he apparently inherited from his father) but that hardly warranted the response his friend gave him. “Aw, come on, Ahnah, cut me some slack! It’s my nameday!”<br/><br/>“Which is why we wished you slept in, dummy,” the girl grumbled. Her brother, Kanuk, interjected himself. “Yeah, we were kinda hoping we’d surprise you today! Oh well.”<br/><br/>“Wait what-”<br/><br/>Meriwa, who had so far been silent, as she was oft to do, decided, at that moment, to bend some snow into his face. Though he couldn’t see it, (due to there being snow in his eyes <em>ow ow ow</em>) he knew the girl had a grin on her face. “Spirits- why?”<br/><br/>Then he cleared his eyes and saw his friends sitting at a miniature feast, apparently having bee covered by carefully bended ice and snow to preserve the heat.<br/><br/>“We were hoping to bring this to you,” Uki shrugged, “But I guess here is as good a place as many.” Sokka friends grinned, and gestured to the food. “We had our parents fix this stuff up We know how you like you meat, Sokka.”<br/><br/>Sokka was at a loss for words. “I… don’t know what to say.”<br/><br/>Lana pushed him down and tossed a bowl at him. “Then don’t say anything. It’s your nameday, after all!”<br/><br/>It was only an after later after they all ate the nameday mini-feast that Sokka actually remembered why he had rushed to them in the morning. “So, guys, my dad said I could go on a hunt later today with him.”<br/><br/>His friends froze their movements, eyes on him in shock. “Really?!” Uki exclaimed. “That’s awesome!”<br/><br/>“And you guys are coming along! If you want to, that is.”<br/><br/>Silence.<br/><br/>Ahnah pointed at him. “Only if you let my try out your boomerang.”<br/><br/>Sokka grinned.<br/><br/></p>

<p></p><div><hr/><p><b><b>/\/\/\/\/|Men of the South|\/\/\/\/\</b></b></p>
<hr/><p><b></b></p></div><div>
  <p><br/>The hunt was a success, for a group’s first time hunting. Hakoda, and several parents of his friends taught them along the way, but in the end the kills were theirs to make, and make them they did. Sokka ended up claiming a Wolf as his kill, and his father looked on in approval. “When we get home, we’ll make you a helmet like mine, wolf’s tail and all."</p>
  <p>So they did, and Sokka spent the rest of the day with his family and friends, then finally going to sleep after a celebratory dinner with the rest of the tribe. He dreamed of wolves, and fish, strangely.</p>
  <p>Sokka was a deep sleeper. When he lay down, nothing save ice-cold water would wake him up besides his own accord.</p>
  <p>So he was somewhat weirded out when his eyes snapped open during the night for no discernible reason.</p>
  <p>
    <em>What was tha-</em>
  </p>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>
      <b>“Whaiawa.”</b>
    </em>
  </p>
</div><p><br/><br/>Sokka nearly threw screamed when the ethereal voice came to him, and he reached for his boomerang instinctively.<br/><br/><br/></p>

<p></p><div>
  <p>
    <em>
      <b>“Whaiawa.”</b>
    </em>
  </p>
</div><p><br/><br/>Although… now that he had calmed down, the voice didn’t sound demanding, or frightening. One might think him instance, but Sokka swore the voice sounded like the ocean.<br/><br/><em>…La?</em><br/><br/>The voice only beckoned further.<br/><br/>So Sokka went, shambling out of his igloo in a near-trancelike state, and out of Tikaani, towards the ocean. Later, he would reflect that he had absolutely no idea what happened next, or how he got there, but when he seemed to regain consciousness, he was in a grove unlike any he had ever seen, a small pond at it’s center.<br/><br/>And in it, two koi fish.<br/><br/>As he tentatively approached the pond, the white koi fish seemed to glance at him before retreating to the other side of the pond, but Sokka didn’t begrudge it.<br/><br/>It was the black one that caught his attention. It stared at him, from the pool that seemed to have no bottom, as if waiting for him, urging him to reach out.. Upon reaching the edge, Sokka instinctively did so, before hesitating.<br/><br/>The fish moved then, lightly butting it’s head against the palm of his hand.<br/><br/><br/></p>

<p></p><div>
  <p>“<em><b>Kia tere me te wai.”</b></em></p>
</div><p><br/><br/>Suddenly, someone gasped from the other side of the pond, and Sokka looked up.<br/><br/>He caught a flash of white hair and pale, blue eyes.<br/><br/>Then it was gone, and the son of the Chief Paramount found himself back in bed.<br/><br/><em>...What in the Spirit Realm just happened?</em><br/><br/>In the morning, he would find his hair streaked with dark grey.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Nini</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><br/><b>88 AG</b><br/><br/>The interior was slightly warmer than Katara had expected.<br/><br/>That is, to say, it was still cold, but without the winds carrying the cold ocean breeze, it was slightly less so. Not that it bothered her too much; she had been born and raised in the cold, and wore it like a second skin. She was more than used to it.<br/><br/>The ironwood groves were a sight for any Southerner to behold, as most had never seen a living tree in their lifetimes, and Katara had been no exception when she and Master Amak had arrived to the village of Lanni, where they would be staying for the majority of her training.<br/><br/>“Look at that,” Master Amak had marveled when they had ridden into the village. The ironwood groves could be seen even from the village, their brown and green greatly standing out amongst the pale ice and snow of the Pole. “These ironwood groves have been here since time immemorial,” Amak told her. Katara returned her gaze to her Bending Master, listening with rapt attention. “They were here before the tribes came here, and Spirits willing, they will be here long after.”<br/><br/>“But,” Katara bit her lip nervously, “If we cut them down, won’t the Spirits be mad? If they were here before we were, then something like this, cutting them down…”<br/><br/>Amak looked down at her with a smile. “The Chief Paramount is no fool, my pupil. The trees, for whatever reason, grown faster than the trees on the mainlands, and so long as we do not cut their roots, they will grow back. Where do you think all our wood comes from? The coastal areas can trade for them, but the tribes of the interior need only look to the groves.”<br/><br/>Katara nodded, and that had been the end of the conversation.<br/><br/>That had been just over a year ago, and still the trees did not lose their splendor.<br/><br/>Her teacher was a rough one, but skilled, and she had put Katara to the test as soon as possible. And, despite Katara’s doubts, she had passed them all. Three months into her training, her Master had directed her over to the gathering grounds, where she saw several other Masters and their students. “From today,” Amak had told her, “We train with others. You have learned to flow with oneself, now you must learn to go with the tide.”<br/><br/>Katara blinked. “Does that mean we’re going to start helping cutting down the ironwood groves?”<br/><br/>While some of the Master Waterbenders had taken to teaching, most who had journeyed inland had come to help with the construction of the ships, using their Waterbending to saw down trees and removing the moisture from the, so they did not deteriorate.<br/><br/>“Not yet, Katara,” Amak replied. “We work in groups to see things done, and they,” she pointed to the other students, who were looking their way in curiosity, “are going to be the group you will join.”<br/><br/>Katara smiled at that; she had no problems with that.<br/><br/>That was how she met her new friends, none of which who knew she was the daughter of the Chief Paramount, something she was thankful for. While her childhood in Tikaani was nice, most children (save Sokka, but he was her brother) had avoided her when it came to games that involved to much ‘roughhousing,’ as Gran Gran called it. Here, she didn’t have to worry about that, and she happily went along with it, laughing with the rest of them as they Waterbent snow and water at each other.<br/><br/>It was a peaceful, fulfilling lifestyle that suited Katara splendidly..<br/><br/>Of course, that changed, although, this time, it wasn’t due to any outside influence, only Katara’s curiosity.<br/><br/>You know how the saying goes.<br/><br/>“What’s that?”<br/><br/>Amak looked to where Katara was pointing, to an igloo far out from the village. She frowned and turned to her pupil. “That,” she said, “is not a place where you should go. Do you understand?”<br/><br/>Katara nodded.<br/><br/>She disobeyed her Master’s wishes and went the next night.<br/><br/>Oddly enough, the igloo was colder on the inside than it was outside. Sitting in said igloo was a girl about her age, wrapped in seal-skin, shivering as she tried to stoke the fire.The girl turned to her as she cautiously entered, and her eyes widened.<br/><br/>“Kya?”<br/><br/>Katara blinked.<br/><br/>That was her mother’s name.<br/><br/>“Um… my name is Katara,” she corrected, and the girl nodded and turned back to her fire. “I’m sorry, I thought you were someone I knew.”<br/><br/>Katara stood in silence for a moment, watching the girl’s futile attempts to warm up. “Do… do you need help? Is there anything I can do?”<br/><br/>The girl stopped, and looked at her in contemplation. “My mom had a necklace-” Katara instinctively reached for the one she wore around her neck, the last remnant of her mother left behind- “but I lost it. It was really important for her. Could you find it for me? I can finally rest once I have it.”<br/><br/><em>Wait, how long had has she been in here awake? It’s a strange thing to ask, but… </em>“...Okay, I’ll help you find your mom’s necklace.”<br/><br/>The girl beamed.</p><p><br/>...</p><p><br/>...</p><p><br/>...</p><p><br/>She slipped back to the igloo she and her Master stayed in without any trouble, falling back into bed with little noise, mind aflame with thoughts.<br/><br/><em>Why did she say mom’s name?<br/><br/>Who is she?<br/><br/>Why does she need that necklace so badly?<br/><br/>...why did I say yes?</em><br/><br/>She could have left, she could have had nothing to do with her, yet she felt as if she had to. Katara<em> had </em>promised, after all, and her father had told her to always uphold promises made in good health.<br/><br/>...and Katara would admit she would be lying if she said she hadn’t the slightest interest in the mysterious Igloo Girl. Maybe she would meet the girl’s mother once she found the necklace.</p><p> </p><p></p><div>
  <p></p>
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    <hr/>
    <p><b>/\/\/\/\/|Men of the South|\/\/\/\/\</b><b></b> </p>
    <hr/>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p> </p>
  </div>
</div><p>Said necklace hadn’t shown up yet, and it had been a week since Katara had accepted the Igloo Girl’s request to find it. Something, she soon realized, was hard to search for when she could only do it under the light of Tui, and for only a few hours at that. She scoured the area around the abandoned igloo, bending ice and snow and sifting through it to find the pendant.<br/><br/>It should have been easy, since metal had a peculiar feel to it while in water, ice, or snow, most likely because metal was a rare commodity in the South Pole, even more than wood, only ever used for ancestral weaponry and betrothal necklaces.<br/><br/>Yet, even so, it seemed to leave no trace. She couldn’t find a hint it was anywhere, let alone it even existed, and Katara started to lean on the idea that the Igloo Girl had toyed with her. Her friends certainly seemed to think so when she coughed up the courage to tell them why she had been so tired lately.<br/><br/>“It’s a fool’s quest, Katara,” Napu told her. “She’s wasting your time, and you’re looking worse for wear. Ask your master for a day off, or two You’ve been working harder than any of us, I’m sure Master Amak would let you.”<br/><br/>Katara appreciated her friend’s concern, but she still didn’t stop her search. But she did take Napu’s advice and asked Master Amak for a day of, to which she agreed.<br/><br/></p><p></p><div>
  <p></p>
  <div>
    <hr/>
    <p>
      <b>/\/\/\/\/|Men of the South|\/\/\/\/\</b>
    </p>
    <hr/>
    <p> </p>
  </div>
</div><p>A snowstorm rolled in early that same morning, about an hour after Katara had resumed her search, and took her by surprise; there had been no hint of any sort of storm earlier, neither in the weather nor the subtle streams of vapor in the air.<br/><br/>Katara, ill-equipped to search in such a storm, had turned to return to Laani, when her eyes fell to the frozen ground beneath her.<br/><br/>And there the pendant was.<br/><br/>Later on, Katara would come to the conclusion that <em>something </em>had done this, not just nature itself, but a Spirit, mayhaps, but Katara, at the moment, merely wanted to fulfill her promise as soon as possible. So, instead of doing the smart thing and returning to her home-away-from-home, she turned in the opposite direction and ran to the abandoned igloo, pushing through sleet and snow.<br/><br/>Then, finally, she got there.<br/><br/>What hint of fire there had been had been snuffed out by the raging winds outside, and Katara was horrified to see the Igloo Girl half frozen to death. Acting quickly, she bended the entrance shut, sealing what warm air there was inside, and rushed to the girl.<br/><br/>“Are you alr-”<br/><br/>“Did you… find it?”<br/><br/>The girl, despite being her skin slightly bluing and being ice-cold to the touch, spoke as if unharmed, and Katara shivered, for reasons she didn’t know, but nodded. “...Yeah, I found it. Here.” Pulling the betrothal necklace from her parka sleeve, she knelt besides the girl and gently placed it in her hands.<br/><br/>Nothing happened for a moment.<br/><br/>Then the girl smiled at her.<br/><br/>“You’re very much like your mom.”<br/><br/>And then Katara blinked, and the girl was gone.<br/><br/><b></b></p><p> </p><p></p><div>
  <hr/>
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    <b>
      <b>/\/\/\/\/|Men of the South|\/\/\/\/\</b>
    </b>
  </p>
  <hr/>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
  <p>She had to wait for the storm to peter out before bending her way out of the igloo and into the line of sight of her very worried friends and very furious Master, who demanded to know what she was doing in the igloo that had been abandoned for years now.</p>
  <p>Katara didn’t even get to answer before Master Amak sighed and shook her head. “I don’t think I wish to know. Just don’t do it again. Your father would kill me if you died.”</p>
  <p>The chieftain’s daughter winced, but nodded. “Sorry. I was just…”</p>
  <p>Amak raised a hand. “It’s not my business, Katara. I trust you had your reasons. But,” her eyes narrowed, “you have washing duties for the next fortnight.”</p>
  <p>Katara blinked, then groaned, but nodded.</p>
  <p>She honestly should have expected that.</p>
</div><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <strong>...</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>...</p><p> </p><p>...</p><p><br/><br/>It was only later when she realized she never learned the girl’s name.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Benevolent Moon Lady</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He met the Moon Lady the second time La deigned to call upon him.<br/>
<br/>
She hadn’t actually been there at first when he had arrived, so he had taken the time to explore the spirit oasis while he waited for the Ocean and Moon Spirits to direct him.<br/>
<br/>
Sokka honestly had no idea why they kept bringing him here. The last time he had seen this place was his nameday, and that had only been for a few minutes at best. The chief’s son was starting to get somewhat annoyed at his sleep being interrupted, and understandably so; sleep was a commodity all Southerners enjoyed.<br/>
<br/>
“You guys couldn’t wait until I was awake to do this, could you?” Sokka muttered at the Spirits (quietly). Said koi paused their motions for a moment, turned to look at him, then turned away and continued in their water dance, seemingly unbothered with Sokka’s complaints. He sighed, then, ceasing his fruitless searching (what was he even looking for?) and seated himself on the edge of the oasis, then absent-mindedly brushed his hand through the water, petting the black koi as it butted it’s head into his hand.<br/>
<br/>
So caught up in his own thoughts that, just like last time, a gasp was what drew his attention to the other side of the pond, and he quite nearly bolted from his spot when he looked up.<br/>
<br/>
For there she was, the Moon Lady, in all her pale glory.<br/>
<br/>
Not that those words had been running through Sokka’s head at the time, no. He was in awe, no doubt, but he was also terrified, for who else could that woman be but the Spirit of the Oasis? The koi had done nothing to harm him, and Sokka had no fear of them, for they the Spirits of his people, but the white-haired woman was not.<br/>
<br/>
So, being the dutiful son he was, remembering the stories his mother had told him years ago of the Spirits, he slowly fell to his knees, hands stretched out in submission to the Moon Lady’s judgement, and spoke the words of greeting.<br/>
<br/>
<em>“E te Wairua nui, tohungia ahau, kua hara nei ki a koe</em>. Oh great Spirit, have mercy on me who hath sinned against you.” He supposed he had, after all, this oasis was surely her domain. Sokka could only pray that she would forgive him for unknowingly entering her home.<br/>
<br/>
The Moon Lady blinked.<br/>
<br/>
“What?”<br/>
<br/>
And though Sokka did not know it at the time, and would not know it for many more years to come due to a misunderstanding borne of this very meeting, that is how he, Sokka, son of Hakoda, Chief Paramount of the Southern Water Tribes, met Yue, daughter of Arnook, High Chieftain of the Northern Water Tribe.<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p></p><div>
  <hr/>
  <p>
    <b>/\/\/\/\/|Men of the South|\/\/\/\/\</b>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <hr/>
</div><p><br/>
<br/>
<b>89 AG</b><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
Sokka was a strange son, Hakoda would admit.<br/>
<br/>
Not that he didn’t love his son fully, because he he did. But even Sokka himself admitted he was a tad bit different from the others.<br/>
<br/>
For one, his son woke up after his thirteenth nameday with grey streaks in his hair that most definitely had not been there the day before. Hakoda just about nearly had a heart attack when his mother had suggest that Sokka had been Spirit-Touched, and he still shuddered at the thought. Almost always, those who were Spirit-Touched did not live to see twenty name-days, and although those were just from the stories the elders told time and time again, the Chief Paramount would be damned if he lost another member of his family.<br/>
<br/>
But, he was getting off track.<br/>
<br/>
Sokka, while respecting the traditions of the tribes, also had no qualms with voicing ideas he had that might improve the tribes, or help them later on when the finally march on the Fire Nation. The former, Sokka tended to inscribe then on the record-bark they kept preserved in the Great Igloo, but the latter, he tended to try out before telling anyone.<br/>
<br/>
Que Hakoda walking into Sokka threading ironwood fibers into his shield one day.<br/>
<br/>
The Chief Paramount stopped, blinked, then tapped his son on the shoulder, who hadn't even realized he was there. “Oh, hey, Dad! So, I had this idea about where we can get metal from--”<br/>
<br/>
“Sokka, what are you doing with my shield?” Hakoda interrupted, eyeing the pile of bone and fur that Sokka was holding. “Didn’t you make your own along with your helmet and armor?”<br/>
<br/>
Sokka paused for a moment, looking back at the shield in his hands. “Oh, yeah. So, I was thinking; ironwood has decent resistance to fire, right? That’s why we never use it for our fire-pits, and why we’re using it to build the ships, right?”<br/>
<br/>
Wondering where his son was leading to, Hakoda nodded, and Sokka continued.<br/>
<br/>
“I was thinking, since it’s so resistant to fire, we should weave it into our shields. I’d say we should do the same for our armour, but that would kinda mess with the ability to move around much in it, stiffens the flexibility. But we don’t have to worry about that with shields, we just carry them! Also, they’ll be more resistance to other weapons, and arrows and--” blinking, Sokka realized he had descended into rambling partway through. Hakoda, however, was merely nodding with a smile on his face, and Sokka gave a tentative grin. “I, um… I guess you like the idea? I tried it out with my shield fist, if that was what you were worried about.”<br/>
<br/>
Ruffling his son’s grey/black hair, Hakoda grinned at him. “It’s not bad, Sokka, not bad at all. I’ll have to send runners out to the other tribes to tell them to do the same. We’ll be able to see the results in a year or two.”<br/>
<br/>
“Wait, a year or two?”<br/>
<br/>
Hakoda merely grinned, and left his son wondering.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p>
  <b>/\/\/\/\/|Men of the South|\/\/\/\/\</b>
</p><hr/>
<p><b></b><br/>
The Southern Water Tribes were vastly different than the home she had grown up in.<br/>
<br/>
Kanna had accepted that when had chosen to leave the North Pole by herself, leaving her once-betrothed behind for a more equal life in the South. Getting there had been perilous enough, but she had made good time with her Waterbending, and she had found that the journey had been worth it. Life his was rougher than it was back in the more urbanized Ujuraak, but it was simpler, and Kanna found that she quite liked it.<br/>
<br/>
Despite the troubled history between North and South, a history some in the North had still held in contempt before her departure, the Southerners had welcomed her as one of their own, and gave her home and hearth to live by, and Kanna could not have been more thankful. Then, despite everything, she had found a man she could love, and he her, and they had married in the light of Tui, and she bore him a son.<br/>
<br/>
The elder sighed as she reminiscent her old memories, while at the same time pondering the future to come for the tribes. It may very well be she may not live long enough to see the warriors sail against the Fire nation, but until then, she would do her best to aid her son in his quest to save, and avenge, their taken kin. <br/>
<br/>
For the people who had given her a home, she would do this. For her son who now ruled, she would do this. For his wife, she would do this. For his children, she would do this.<br/>
<br/>
Kanna stood up. There was much work to be done.</p>
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